Confusion
by I Like Writing Romance
Summary: "There had to be no way Luna Lovegood would be kissing someone as smarmy and disgusting as Draco Malfoy... But apparently, there was a way." Please R&R!


**Note: I uploaded this story a few months back—that was by accident. I had not completely finished it.**

**I have a read a story similar to this, but I did not copy. I hope you enjoy it. It's Neville/Luna.**

**I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, just the plot.**

Neville Longbottom was confused.

Now, to most, this wasn't really a surprise. After all, Neville was always confused about _something_, right? This wasn't any different. Really (and even Neville was willing to admit it himself) the only thing he was good at was Herbology. And, not only was it considered "unimportant" by most, it was in no way going to help him solve his bewildering problem.

No, the thing Neville was confused about was the feelings he was starting to develop for a certain, blonde, fifth-year Ravenclaw.

Luna, he thought, was a puzzle. And a difficult one to solve, at that. You never knew what she would do next. Sure, most wouldn't exactly call her "pretty", but Neville didn't think Luna was pretty anyway.

In Neville Longbottom's opinion, Luna Lovegood was _beautiful_.

Perhaps not in the traditional way, but she was certainly unique, with her waist-length, straggly, silver-blonde hair, wide grey-blue eyes and that dreamy expression. Neville loved the way she'd talk about everything and anything, whether it was Nargles, Crumple-Horned Snorkacks or Neezwizzles, creatures that, apparently, hid in your ears and gave you a slight hearing problem for a few weeks.

Neville needed help. He had absolutely no idea what to do. Should he tell her? She deserved to know, right? But what if she didn't feel the same way? Would it ruin their friendship?

So, desperately, with a head full of jumbled thoughts, Neville managed to remember the first person he'd usually turn to for help: Hermione!

She was smart, she was in a relationship (sort of), and best of all _she was a girl_!

Trudging down the staircase to the common room, Neville proceeded in his search. Considering it was only almost nine, the common room was surprisingly empty. Only a few people remained, mainly fifth-years and seventh-years studying for their OWLs and NEWTs, respectively.

Spotting red hair, bushy brown hair, and a pair of glasses over by the fire, Neville made his way over. Not surprisingly, Ron and Hermione were completely oblivious to anything around them, making out as a disgusted Harry sat beside Hermione. He pulled a face as Neville walked up to them.

"They disgust me," Harry muttered as Neville took a seat opposite the trio.

Neville snorted. "And you wouldn't be doing the same thing if Ginny were here and not studying for her OWLs in the library?" he pointed out, disbelief clear in his voice and deep blue eyes.

"Why are you here, anyway?" Harry questioned, choosing to ignore Neville's accusation. "Didn't you say you were going to bed a half hour ago?"

"I couldn't sleep. I need to talk to Hermione."

Harry blinked. "About the fact you couldn't sleep?"

Neville rolled his eyes. "No, something else." And before Harry could ask what, he said, "I'll be able to tell you if I tell Hermione."

Sighing, Harry pulled his wand out of his robes. Cautiously, he used it to prod Ron in the side, and then Hermione.

With a grunt of annoyance, Ron surfaced first, demanding grumpily, "What? Can't you see we're busy?"

Ignoring Ron, Harry told Hermione, "Neville needs to talk to you."

"What about?" Hermione asked, attempting to fix her hair. With suddenly anxious brown eyes, she faced their friend. "Is everything alright, Neville?"

Neville nodded, then shook his head, then shrugged helplessly. Harry looked confused, Hermione looked even more worried, and Ron looked bored.

"What exactly _is_ the problem?" Harry asked.

"Well, see, I like this girl…" Neville began, and then trailed off, looking hesitant.

Harry's mouth opened in shock, Ron sat up straighter, looking less bored, and Hermione's eyes widened.

"What's her name?" Ron asked quickly.

"Do we know her?" Hermione asked next.

Still unsure, Neville replied, "Her name's…" Desperately, he tried to come up with a random name, still not comfortable with telling them outright. "…Lana. And yeah, you know her."

Hermione caught on straight away, eyes brightening as she smiled. Ron and Harry, however, looked, typically, puzzled.

"Do we know a Lana?" Ron asked, and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Are you going to tell her?" she questioned, not paying any attention to her two bemused friends.

"That's what I wanted to ask. I don't know if I should," he replied, frowning. "What if she doesn't feel the same way? What if we can't be around each other like friends because it's too awkward? What if—"

"Don't think about all the 'what-if's, Neville," Hermione said firmly. "You can't live the rest of your life wondering what would have happened if you _had_ told her."

"I guess you're right," Neville said, though still a little doubtful.

"Who _is_ this Lana?" Harry asked in frustration. "As far as I know, we don't _know_ anyone called Lana!"

Neville shook his head in incredulity. "And people say _I'm_ slow…"

Hermione sighed. "He means Luna!"

"Yeah, that actually makes sense." Harry nodded.

Ron, meanwhile, looked dubious. "Seriously, Neville? You like _Loony Lovegood_?"

Without a word, Neville pulled out his wand and pointed it at the redhead. "Call her that again, or insult her in any way, I will kill you."

"But she's crazy! Loony by name, loony by—hey!"

With a snarl, Neville launched himself at Ron, inflicting blow after blow. He wasn't able to do any serious damage, however, as Hermione and Harry hauled him back. But, to Neville's pleasure, Ron now sported a bloody nose.

Cursing, Ron got to his feet, bellowing at Neville, "What the _bloody hell_ did you do that for?"

"I told you not to insult her," Neville replied with an impassive shrug.

Muttering darkly under his breath, Ron picked up his fallen chair and sat back down, scowling.

"So when are you going to tell her?" Hermione asked cheerfully, as though nothing had happened.

"Tomorrow after class," Neville said. "Thanks."

And with that, he turned his back on the trio and walked back up to the dormitories.

**99999**

Straight after Charms, which happened to be his last lesson for the day, Neville went to find Luna. He knew she'd just had Transfiguration, so he made his way toward the Transfiguration department.

But, as he rounded the corridor into the said corridor, he was met with a sight that stunned and hurt him to his very core.

**99999**

Luna Lovegood had never met someone like Neville Longbottom. The first few words they'd exchanged weren't meaningful.

"_And I don't know who you are."_

"_I'm nobody."_

But to Luna, Neville was somebody. A _special_ somebody.

Luna had never had many friends. Sure, Cho was sometimes quite nice to her, but nobody really _liked_ her, other than perhaps Ginny Weasley. Ever since she'd joined the D.A., though, she found she'd become friends with quite a few people, namely Harry Potter himself!

But today was _not_ a good day for her.

First, she'd found that there had been Neezwizzles in her ears, and now her hearing was slightly off. Because of this, she had mixed up the spell she was supposed to say, in Charms, and had accidentally turned one of the fifth-year Slytherins into a newt. Now, after coming out of class, she was challenged with an annoyed and sneering Draco Malfoy in her face.

Malfoy's face was right in hers, his face creased in a scowl.

"You're a freak, Lovegood. Can't even say a spell right without bothering people around you, can you?"

Luna's eyes misted over slightly: she wasn't crying, instead, just trying to block the older Slytherin's horrible voice out.

"Talking about all this ridiculous stuff like Pinkies, and Narzles. What the heck are they again? Oh, wait, they don't exist." Malfoy smirked at her, as though he'd just said something nothing she said back could top.

"Actually, Draco, if you'd listened properly, you would know it was _Plimpies_ and _Nargles_. And they _do_ exist," Luna replied indignantly, snapping out of her stupor to defend her beliefs.

"They. Don't." Malfoy's nose was practically touching hers. "And unless you want to end up in the hospital wing, I'd keep my mouth shut. Got it?"

Luna said nothing, staring dreamily in Malfoy's direction, though not really _at_ him. She was staring through him, as if he wasn't even there.

There was a sound at the end of the corridor, and both looked up. Malfoy muttered one last, "Freak!" before turning away, leaving Luna to gaze confusedly into the shocked midnight eyes of Neville Longbottom.

Neville backed away, his expression shifting to one of hurt, and as he disappeared around the corner he'd come from, it clicked in Luna's head what he must have thought: she and Malfoy had been standing _thisclose_ to one another. He must have thought that they were kissing, or something of such idea.

Luna's already abnormally wide eyes widened even more. She had to find him and clear this up!

Luna ran after Neville, her robes whipping around her ankles and her pale hair whipping out behind her. She caught sight of dark, floppy hair and a tall figure heading outside, and she sprinted after it, and saw it go into the Greenhouses.

**99999**

Neville plopped down on a stool in Greenhouse Three, staring glumly at the surrounding plants, his hand supporting his chin.

He couldn't believe what he'd just seen: there had to be _no way_ Luna Lovegood would be kissing someone as smarmy and disgusting as Draco Malfoy.

But apparently, there was a way.

Just then, someone burst into the Greenhouse, startling the boy to his feet. Luna choked a little, trying to breathe after running so fast and hard, her robes and hair askew.

Neville just stared, wide-eyed, at the girl, waiting for her to speak.

When she finally did, it was in between breaths. "Neville, you…didn't see…what you thought…you saw…"

"What?"

Luna caught her breath finally and repeated her sentence. "You didn't see what you thought you saw, Neville. I wasn't kissing Malfoy. I would never kiss Malfoy. He doesn't believe in Plimpies and Nargles. He's a horrible little boy."

Neville fought the urge to laugh at Luna calling Malfoy a 'horrible little boy', yet still was stunned at how easily she'd picked up on his feelings. "How did you know what I thought?"

Luna shrugged. "Sometimes with people you can relate to, like your friends, you can just tell."

Neville shook his head. "Now I'm even more confused."

Luna frowned. "What do you mean?"

Neville sighed. "Last night," he began. "I talked to Hermione and Harry and Ron." The last name was said with slight, but not obvious, annoyance. "I've been feeling confused for a while now. And you know why? Because of you! You are such a _puzzle_, Luna, a puzzle I don't think I'll ever solve and that annoys me! But it makes me love you all the more! And you—"

Before Neville could keep blabbering on, Luna stretched up on her toes and pressed her lips to his, a small smile on her face as he froze.

She pulled away after a moment, but he pulled her back after she'd taken a breath, kissing her a little more passionately, his arms going around her waist.

After another minute, they both pulled back for air, gasping, and Luna's only words were, "I love you too, Neville."

Neville grinned widely, feeling awed, happy, triumphant, and a thousand more emotions he didn't think he'd ever be able to name. "I don't think I'm confused any more, Luna."

Luna's wide smile matched his. "I certainly hope not," she whispered in reply, and kissed him again.

**If you favourite this, please review. Yup, that little button just down there. Thanks!**

**I Like Writing Romance **


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